MONTAGUE — Despite a recommendation from Town Administrator Walter Ramsey for Department of Public Works Superintendent Sam Urkiel to serve a three-year term as tree warden, the Selectboard approved a one-year term this week, with some hesitation expressed regarding keeping the tree warden position within the DPW.
Ramsey presented the Selectboard with a request to formally appoint Urkiel to the position through June 30, 2029, following the resignation of former Tree Warden Jason Kingsbury, effective July 1. Kingsbury will remain in the role as the DPW’s head groundskeeper.
Kingsbury was appointed tree warden in January 2025 after the death of former Tree Warden Mark Stevens, with a stipend of $147 per month until June 30, 2025. In February of that year, the position was formally changed from elected to appointed during a Special Town Meeting.
Ramsey said his request to appoint Urkiel comes after an outside candidate who was recommended by the Tree Advisory Committee declined the position, following an interview with Ramsey and Urkiel where the scope of work was laid out.
“My recommendation is not based on the lack of respect for the Tree Advisory Committee, or the importance of public trees,” Ramsey told the Selectboard. “I think we can all agree public trees are important. It’s based on the operational nature of the position.”
In addition to the appointment of Urkiel as tree warden, Ramsey also sought Selectboard approval for a collaborative effort to develop an operating protocol for how public shade trees are managed in town. The protocol would be based on input from Ramsey, the tree warden and the Tree Advisory Committee. Ramsey said the town should have a “clearer process” for tree hearings, emergency removals, tree documentation and more.
On top of his responsibilities as superintendent, as tree warden, Urkiel would have oversight of Chapter 87 compliance, budgets, emergency determinations and approval of all public shade tree work. The role also includes responding to resident concerns and tree emergencies, and coordinating with contractors. The Tree Advisory Committee would act as the advisors to the Selectboard and tree warden on topics like tree health, planting priorities, public education and long-range planning.
After Ramsey explained his proposal at Monday’s meeting, Selectboard member Nate Card spoke in opposition. He said that while he was not looking to discount the “thought and intention” behind the idea or the benefit of having a strong relationship with the DPW, Card said he has concerns with keeping the tree warden position within the DPW, “due to the patterns that I have seen in town of the current status of care of the canopy,” and the conflict of interest the appointment would create, in his view.
“That constitutes a conflict of interest to me, because the work of the DPW so much revolves around the care and maintenance of the built infrastructure as well,” Card said, “and I would be very concerned about the needs of timely and efficient work happening on built infrastructure, superseding the priorities of the living infrastructure, that is the public trees we have in Montague.”
This concern was echoed by others, including Bill Coddington of the Tree Advisory Committee, who also spoke of the “inherent conflict of interest” when taking care of trees that “is going to make other parts of their job harder.”
Other comments reflected the workload concern for Urkiel, and whether both responsibilities can be handled by one person.
Selectboard Vice Chair Marina Goldman said she thinks Ramsey’s proposal works, but she suggested possibly having a one-year appointment with a six-month check-in, and to continue to work on the written protocol.
Selectboard Chair Richard Kuklewicz said that while he doesn’t see a conflict of interest in this arrangement and he sees an “advantage” to the DPW superintendent having staff that can handle tree-related issues, he also agreed to a one-year appointment with three-month and six-month check-ins.
Card said he’d be open to a one-year appointment, but that he would like to see more time and deliberation on the subject before a decision is made. Resident Ariel Elan also spoke to this point, voicing her thought that a written protocol needs to be developed ahead of time before the position and its requirements are assigned.
Kuklewicz said the Selectboard should do something to at least get a temporary appointment formalized for the tree warden, and have a check-in with Urkiel later this year. Goldman mentioned bringing more voices into the conversation, jumping off of Card’s suggestion to have various stakeholders be involved, such as the Conservation Commission and the Parks & Recreation Department.
Ultimately, the Selectboard voted unanimously to appoint Urkiel through June 30, 2027.
